The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-30

nobody. He had dropped from the clouds.
for all anybody knew or cared
Mis- SimpkiRs. that stirring industrious
creature, found him curled up asleep in an
empty hencoop when she went TO take down
the shutters and open her grocery at 5 O'Clock.
as usual, one morning
She shook him vigorously. Here, YOU
said she. ~whose child are youl What are
you doin' heref'
The child sat up suddenly He rubbed hs
eyes, and stared about him
Whose child are your repeated Mrs
Simpkins
| Dunno"
How'd you get into that there hencoopg7
Dunno
She shook him by his ragged collar again
None o yer lynn ter me. What's yer
namesr
Dunno
Don't that bang anything, nowr ejacu-
lated the woman. ''Ten me yer name, or III
take stick to you, you little riprobaten
"Thats it," said the boy. @They call me
Little Rip. Tn the fatherless set on the
church steps. Moll plays she's my mother
We set ON the church steps an wear card
that says on it Pity the Blind and the Father
less People comes along and drops pennies
into tin cup. We was goin' TO a new place.
cause the plce found out she wusn't blind.
reckon Moll got drunk an forgot me- said
he, composedly. "Say, gimme some break
fast, or I'll show you a circus trick"
The infant squared off and lowered his
bristly head, if about to butt into the
small grocer wife, goat fashion He would
undoubtedly have done so, but the wiry little
woman was 1.-the as a cat and strong On the
instant she caught Little Rip sat down upon
| the hen coop and spanked him till she was out
| of breath The child 10 -.
the meantime, till ell the windows in the
| neighborhood were raised to see what the ur,-
earthly noise was about
There" said Mis- Simpkins, "rn teach YOU
to sass me, you little ripl7
He ate ravenously the breakfast she gave
him presently.
| Land sake!" said she to Jim Sweet, list
| look at that child eatl He's got face for all
the world like starved young pigeon. He
amt bad lookin' young 'un either, if he was
cleaned up, with theu blue eyes If that
| hair was washed out and combed, 'twould be
as yaller an shiny as Pet Carstones Looks
| as though his folks might ha' been some
body"
What the child had told Mis- Simpkins was
| absolutely all that could be found out about
| him. He was nobody's child Nobody could
| tell whence he came. He hung about the
| grocery for two days. Mis- Simpkins fed
| him. On the third day, she turned from
waiting on customer, and caught the dirty
| little hand of this terrible infant thrust
| into the tobacco case. He was stealing her
best ten cent cigars. She pounced upon him
and threw him out of the shop in righteous
| wrath
"You little riprobate Eff had the lines
around your neck, l bet ye'd stretch 'emi
Lemme kitch you in this store aginl"
xt,s1 x-1Il.
peared around the corner. In spite of Mis-
Simpkins he had distracted one of the cigars
He was minded to learn to smoke. He
wandered out into the country He went
| long way, so as to be sure he was out of the
sight of the village, and the hawk eye of Mrs
Simpkins. Then he lit the cigar, and still
wandered farther and farther He did not
know where he was going, and did not think
about it. Little Rip put the roll of weed be-
tween his lips, and puffed away bravely,
staggering and taking long steps, as he had
seen young men do. Shortly be began TO fee
very bad, but he kept stoutly on, with de-
votion worthy of better cause The mail
carrier passed by in his blackboard wagon.
"'Twas the most rediclous sight | ever
seen, said be afterwards. "'rhar wus the little
| cuss, lettin' on he wus smokin'. The cigar
had great long ash on it. He clitched il
between his fingers, jess so, like he'd seen big
fellers do. He was desput ashy around the
gills and so sick he staggered, but thar he
cooked his mite of head up and went on, as
big as Gineral Jackson
But at last there came a moment when
even little Rips giant will gave out. slegs
failed him. He felt sure he was dying, with
that awful feeling in his stomach. He was
only baby after all He crawled to the
roadside and lay down beside huge stone
He groaned and cried bitterly, as many big
boy would like to do, but doesn't dare, when
he smokes his first cigar.
Sam:
"Bring out Ulysses Imust break that colt
| It's going to be tough job, too But I'll
give him lesson this afternoon"
The childrens pet had grown a magnificent
| animal. He was splendid sorrel, with a
| thin, quivering nostril, an arched neck and a
| flashing eye. The colonel eyed him closely as
Sam led him from the stable.
Mrs Carstone came out with her baby in
| her arms to see him mount.
take care, Tom. DEAR" said she. "He
| looks wicked"
Il never yet saw the animal 1 couldn't
| master. And a man who can manage a
| horse can always manage woman. They're
at the same time. The man who can do that
| is always very good fellow, too, I've
noticed, eh, wife!'
| He patted the horse on the neck.
| ,@Ho, Lys, no, ho. You look little ugly,
| but wen soon take that out of you"
| The beautiful creature SHE'D and reared,
| but Col. Carstone at length got upon his
back, and was off. He was famous horse
man, and an enthusiastic lover of horses. or
the colt Ulysses he had great expectations.
| The animal had proved unexpectedly hard to
| train, however. He behaved right creditably
that afternoon though, and his master took
him farther than he had meant to do, be-
yond the village, on the State Line turnpike.
1t was on this road that poor little Rip had
| lain down, sick enough to die. He was
| queer sight lying there curled around like
/ caterpillar, and making the outlandish,
| greaning noise he was.
| The horse saw him and SHE'D desperately.
| His master spurred him on. He refused to
bulge forward a step, but turned half around
backwards, and danced with rage and terror.
The boy saw the rearing, plunging horse, and
| started to run This affrighted the beast
\ still more The colonel's blood was up
'Stop where you are, you imp of Satan,"
he roared at the boy The horse became al
most unmanageable even for his practiced
| hand.
| ''Ill break you of this nonsense, or III
break your neck,n he said between his teeth.
But he was entirely steady and cool toward
| the horse
"Come, Lys,n ne said, encouragingly,
| sscome-on, on.n He pressed the spurs into
the creature at the same time
In three seconds it was over.
/ The animal gave a snort of fury. He
reared perpendicularly in the air, and fell